By Chioma Umeha
Irregular or abnormal ovulation accounts for 30
per cent to 40 per cent of all cases of infertility. Having irregular periods,
no periods, or abnormal bleeding often indicates that you are not ovulating, a
condition known clinically as anovulation.
Although anovulation can usually be treated with
fertility drugs, it is important to be evaluated for other conditions that
could interfere with ovulation, such as thyroid conditions or abnormalities of
the adrenal or pituitary glands.
Once your doctor has ruled out other medical
conditions, he or she may prescribe fertility drugs to stimulate your
ovulation.
The drug contained in both Clomid and Serophene
(clomiphene) is often a first choice because it’s effective and has been
prescribed to women for decades. Unlike many infertility drugs, it also has the
advantage of being taken orally instead of by injection. It is used to induce
ovulation and to correct irregular ovulation by increasing egg recruitment by
the ovaries.
Clomiphene induces ovulation in most women with
anovulation. Up to 10% of women who use clomiphene for infertility will have a
multiple gestation pregnancy — usually twins. (In comparison, just 1% of the
general population of women delivers twins.)
The typical starting dosage of clomphene is 50 milligrams
per day for five days, beginning on the third, fourth, or fifth day after your
period begins. You can expect to start ovulating about seven days after you’ve
taken the last dose of clomiphene. If you don’t ovulate, the dose can be
increased by 50 milligrams per day each month up to 150 mg. After you have
begun to ovulate, most doctors suggest taking Clomid for three to six months before referring to
a specialist. If you have not gotten pregnant by then, you would try a
different medication or get a referral to an infertility specialist.
These fertility drugs sometimes make the cervical
mucus ‘hostile’ to sperm, keeping sperm from swimming into the uterus. This can
be overcome by using artificial or intrauterine insemination(IUI) -injecting specially prepared sperm
directly into the uterus – to
fertilize the egg. It also thins the endometrial lining.
Depending on your situation, your doctor may also
suggest other fertility drugs such as Gonal-F or other injectable hormones that
stimulate follicles and stimulate egg development in the ovaries. These are the
so-called ‘super-ovulation’ drugs. Most of these drugs are administered by
injection just under the skin. Some of these hormones may overstimulate the
ovaries (causing abdominal bloating and discomfort). This can be dangerous and
require hospitalization; thus, your doctor will monitor you with frequent
vaginal ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor estrogen levels. About 90 per
cent of women ovulate with these drugs and between 20 per cent and 60 per cent
become pregnant.
